


His Example

by WeirdLittleStories



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Kirk and Spock talk over Selek's death, Kirk articulates the atheist approach to death, No disrespect to religious people intended, very short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4335842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdLittleStories/pseuds/WeirdLittleStories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirk and Spock talk over Spock Prime's death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Example

**Author's Note:**

> In memory of Mr. Nimoy, whom I never met but will always love.

* * *

 

After Selek's funeral, Kirk and Spock went to the captain's quarters to talk over the experience. Vulcan funerals were low-key affairs, and even Spock felt the need for something more than what they'd just witnessed.

Jim Kirk sighed. "Centuries ago, humans believed in gods and an afterlife, but hardly anyone believes in those things anymore. We used to comfort ourselves with fairy tales, make death not really the end."

Spock tilted his head as he looked at his captain. "And now, Jim? Now that humans have grown up?"

Kirk grimaced. "Now the only way to comfort ourselves in the face of someone's death is to remind ourselves that their life was well-lived, that they loved well or that they accomplished great things, or that their life stood for something."

Spock nodded. "Selek did. He accomplished great things. He could not tell us everything, but even what little he divulged made it clear that his accomplishments were innumerable."

Kirk looked at Spock. "And there's one other thing we humans use to comfort ourselves, and that's to dedicate our own lives to living up to the example that was set by the one who's gone."

Spock inhaled sharply. "To live up to his example would take a lifetime."

Kirk nodded. "It would, indeed, Mr. Spock, so we'd best get busy. We'll learn all we can, right any wrong we come across, give our all to the ideals we believe in. And that's how we celebrate Selek's life and how we comfort ourselves in the face of his death."

The two men shared a long look, then turned and left for the Bridge together.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

>  **1.** This story is NOT intended to disrespect the views of religious people. But Leonard Nimoy was a Jew, and Gene Roddenberry was an atheist, and the outpouring of Christian imagery after Leonard Nimoy's death saddened me. I'm not Jewish, so I didn't feel competent to represent that worldview, but I thought I might be able to do justice to Mr. Roddenberry's religious beliefs.
> 
> **2.** It's a convention in fan fiction about Spock Prime to call him "Selek," because calling two different characters "Spock" is confusing, and "Spock Prime" doesn't sound like a real name. The name "Selek" comes from the _Star Trek Animated Series_ episode "Yesteryear," in which Spock has to go back in time to save his child self from being killed by a wild animal. He called himself "Selek" while back in time, since he couldn't tell his parents or his child self that he was a grown-up Spock from the future.
> 
> **3.** I have a chronic illness that leaves me non-functional more days than not. I will try to respond to any comments I receive; unfortunately, my good intentions are frequently thwarted by my poor health. (I do read them all with great attention, even when my health doesn't permit me to reply.)
> 
> **4.** I've made a Starfleet career for the computer game _The Sims 3._ You can get it (or just read about it) at [ModTheSims](http://nene.modthesims.info/download.php?t=580458). As always at ModTheSims – and as always with my game mods – the career is completely free, though it does require both _The Sims 3_ and the _Into the Future_ expansion pack to play it. (Please note that this is for _The Sims 3,_ NOT for _The Sims 4.)_
> 
> **5.** I'm going to borrow Ster J's wonderful disclaimer, because it fits me so well: I don't own Star Trek; IT owns ME. :-)
> 
> **6.** Thanks for reading!


End file.
